


Happy Birthday, John Kennex

by ButterflyMama78



Category: Almost Human (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:40:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24591685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ButterflyMama78/pseuds/ButterflyMama78
Summary: A short 3 part look at John Kennex's birthdays celebrated with Emily.
Relationships: John Kennex/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Happy Birthday, John Kennex

**Author's Note:**

> It's Karl Urban's 48th birthday today! I wanted to write something to honor him, and dug up a discarded scene from an early draft of Soulbound. Fun fact: John Kennex shares Karl's birthday, but was born in 2007.
> 
> The story goes with Soulbound.

-1-  
Emily smiled and waved to the nurses on duty as she walked by the nurses’ station. Sara was on duty, she noted, rolling her eyes when the woman winked at her. She clutched the little malachite dragon she carried a little tighter in her right hand before letting herself into John’s room.

Her heart stuttered in her chest when she saw the detective, still unconscious. Someone had shaved off his stubble earlier and had given his dark brown hair a trim.   
She had to swallow a few times before she managed to find her voice. “I… I, uh… have it on good authority that today is your birthday,” she blushed when she realized her voice sounded a little on the breathy side. Oh, lord… At least I’m not wheezing. “The big Four-O,” she placed the dragon on the bedside table next to the photograph of John and his partner, Marty Pelham, and Marty’s wife Maria and son Marty Junior. “But don’t worry,” her breathy voice took on a teasing tone. “I won’t tell anyone your real age. Sandy and I will keep it a secret.”

She busied herself with her normal routine upon arriving for her daily visits. She straightened his blanket over his chest, smoothed her hands over his chest and arms to make sure the wrinkles were out, grounding herself to keep her anxiety at bay. She blushed when she felt his heartbeat kick a little harder when her palm brushed over his chest. “I’m beginning to think you really enjoy my visits even though I’m the most boring and awkward visitor you’ve got,” she teased. “Yeah, I know. I shouldn’t talk down on myself like I do but I am awkward and I’m sure what I talk about is boring.”

Finally, she squeezed his fingers and ran her fingers through his shorter hair. “I miss the scruff,” she admitted softly as she traced her fingertips along his smooth jaw. Her blush darkened when she realized she’d spoken out loud this time. “Oh, god, don’t mind me,” she giggled nervously. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud. I…” She drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. “You look very nice when you’re clean-shaven, but you also look pretty hot when you’re scruffy,” she confessed with a half-sigh, half-whisper. “I… I don’t know why I find it so easy to talk to you, to admit things that I know I’d never be able to say out loud if you were actually awake… much less be able to open up to anyone else... I… I probably would never be able to talk to you if you were conscious… I mean, I’m… I’m nobody. And you’re… You’re you. You probably wouldn’t even give me a second thought,” she turned away from the bed to walk over to the window. “I’m such a painfully shy and awkward person with anxiety and asthma, no one looks twice at me as it is,” she wrapped her arms around her stomach before she growled at herself. “I’m sorry, ignore me. I’m just… I know I’m hard on myself,” she admitted quietly. “It’s your birthday. I’m supposed to be happy and in a celebratory mood, but you already know how I feel about birthdays. But I am happy, in a way. I’m hanging out with the best-looking guy in the world, even if he doesn’t know I exist.” She returned to the bed and leaned down. “Happy birthday, John,” she whispered before kissing his cheek. “I brought you a present. I know I didn’t have to, but after I accidentally caught a glimpse of the tattoo on your arm I knew what I would get you for your birthday or Christmas. I like dragons, but I prefer the European ones to the Chinese ones. I found a Chinese dragon carved in malachite at a shop near campus and had to get it for you. It’s really pretty.” She moved away from the bed to sit down in the chair. “So… I’m thinking about applying for an internship through the Synthetic Dispatch Division. Dr. Lom is open to taking on an intern. I’m scared to death I won’t get the internship if I do apply, but I won’t know unless I try, right? I haven’t talked to Sandy about it, not yet. We’re meeting for drinks later at McQuade’s.”

She grew quiet as she watched his chest rise and fall with each breath he took. “Maybe someday we could go out for a drink after you wake up.” When she realized what she’d said, she quickly backpedalled, stammering and blushing hard before she could string a coherent sentence together. “I… I really need to shut up, huh? Not go out like as in a date or something like that, I could only ever dream of going on a date with you.” She blushed harder and smacked her hands over her face. “Shit. God, Emily, you’re such a damned idiot!” She cussed at herself. “Drinks between friends.”

She scrubbed her hands over her face. “You’ve come to mean a lot to me in such a short period of time already,” she reached for his hand. “You let me ramble and babble when I get nervous or anxious and somehow I feel much calmer when I hold your hand. And I’ve rambled and babbled a lot already today.” She took a deep breath and grimaced when she wheezed. “It’s a beautiful day out today. Couldn’t ask for prettier skies. The sunrise this morning was gorgeous…”

-2-  
Thunder rattled the windows of the hospital room. Must be storming. Dammit. Emily better not be out driving in this. I want her here but I don’t want her to get into a wreck either. Sam, I hope you and Lizzie are watching over your daughter, please don’t let anything happen to her. She has no idea how much she means to me.  
Another rumble of thunder rattled the windows, drowning out the whoosh of the door sliding open. The scent of vanilla cupcakes reached him and he breathed an internal sigh of relief.

Emily was safe. She was there.

The door swooshed open again, followed by the scent of raspberries. Sara, his favorite nurse. She was nice, always talking to him when she was checking on him. Always making sure he had the softer blankets or more supportive pillow. “Here’s the towels you requested, Em.”

“Thanks, Sara, I don’t want Karen or Tim hollering at me for dripping all over the room,” Emily’s voice was filled with light-hearted amusement.

Sara laughed. “They won’t holler, Em. Karen will give you the look and chastise you before she hugs you, and Tim is such a good-natured soul. They’ll chalk it up to job security. Anything else you need?”

“Nah, thank you, I’ll holler if I do.”

The door swooshed open and shut again, leaving him alone with Emily. He listened to the gentle rustle of fabric, towel maybe, before the sound of a raincoat being shrugged off reached his ears. 

“Hi, John,” her voice sounded a little regretful. “I wasn’t ignoring you, I promise. I’m dripping all over the place and don’t want the housekeeping staff to worry about my coat and boots dripping all over.” Her voice strained before he heard the slide of two zippers. “It’s nasty out today. The storm didn’t hit until I was halfway here.”

Should’ve stopped somewhere to wait it out, Sweetheart, I don’t want you risking your life just to spend time with me.

“I know, I could’ve pulled off to wait it out but it hasn’t let up at all and I didn’t want to sit in my car in a sketchy parking lot,” her hands brushed his chest as she straightened the blankets.

His heart thumped harder when he felt her palm settle over it. Good call. But I still don’t want you driving in a storm, Emily. I’m not worth you getting hurt.

“I couldn’t miss my favorite guy’s birthday today,” her breath puffed over his cheek before her plush lips pressed against the stubble.

Favorite guy, huh? Sweetheart… He wished he could turn his head, to feel her soft lips on his. He settled for feeling her smile curve on his cheek instead.

“Happy birthday, John. Whenever you wake up you’re going to have a lot of cards and a few gifts,” the chair scraped closer to the bed. Her hand curled around his. “Just because you’re in a coma doesn’t mean anyone who loves you can get away with ignoring birthdays and holidays. Sandy’s got a box she’s putting them in for you. I didn’t bring a gift with me today, it’s at Sandy’s. I wasn’t about to bring it with me.” Her breath hitched on a wheeze. “I finally worked up the courage to go through Daddy’s stuff and found a few guitars I never knew he had. Sandy told me you collect guitars, that you play a little, and I asked her if maybe I should give them to you. They’re vintage, from the 1970s and 80s. Or would they be considered antiques? I don’t know. They’re beautiful, though. One’s an acoustic and the others are electric. Daddy even had sheet music for some of the old classic rock songs. I sent those over with the guitars.”

Sweetheart, they’re your dad’s, you should keep them.

“I don’t have the room in my apartment for them, I don’t want for them to remain in their cases tucked away in a closet. They’re meant to be picked up and played and proudly displayed. I don’t know how to play, other than random strumming that sounds god awful. I never was musically-inclined growing up, I would’ve taken the amp apart to see how it works and if I could improve it,” she laughed softly. “Maybe that’s why Daddy had them in storage, to keep me from doing just that. I… I would like to learn how to at least play a few chords, though.”

I could teach you. Not that hard. I’ll get a guitar in your hands and sit behind you, wrap my arms around you to guide your hands. He groaned. Slow down, Kennex, he warned himself when he felt arousal stirring in his belly just from the image in his head. Dammit.

Her fingers laced through his. “I hope you will like them.”

I already do, Sweetheart…

-3-  
The gentle press of soft, plush lips on his woke him up. John groaned, wrapping his arms around Emily. “Mornin’, Baby,” he murmured before deepening the kiss. 

She braced her hands against his shoulder and shoved. “You’re ruining the moment!” She giggled when he pinned her beneath him and attacked her neck with voracious kisses. “John!”

He lifted his head. “You started it by kissing me awake, Baby.” He frowned when tears glistened in her baby blue eyes. “Emily?”

“I get to look into your eyes this time when I say it,” her voice cracked as a tear slipped down her temple into her dark hair. “Happy birthday, John.”

John cupped her cheek and brushed the tear away with his thumb. “Baby, don’t start cryin’ on me,” he chastised gently, shifting onto his back and tucking her to his side. “What are your plans today?”

“We’re not going to spend your birthday with you in bed and me in a chair holding your hand,” she retorted.

“How ‘bout we both spend the day in bed?”

She giggled. “John!”

“It’s my birthday, can’t I pick how we spend the day?” He quirked an eyebrow at her.

“What about your birthday cupcakes or breakfast or your present--”

He hauled her on top of him and silenced her protest with a kiss. “Later. Much… much later,” he growled between kisses.


End file.
